


Hoping We Collide

by lunasenzanotte



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Atlético Madrid, Divergent!AU, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FC Barcelona, Factions, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Real Madrid CF, Spain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2018-03-30 23:32:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3956047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasenzanotte/pseuds/lunasenzanotte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Divergent!AU. Four boys. Two choices. And a world that’s about to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [niezapominajka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niezapominajka/gifts).



> I almost forgot: this goes mainly to niezapominajka, because I promised it to her a long time ago ;)

**Marc**  
  
Marc can see them from far away. The Factionless, their wild faces and torn, dirty clothes. He can see them come out of the shadows like ghosts, creeping closer and closer to the boy who is standing alone against them. He doesn’t fight back when they encircle him and push him around, just raises his hands as if trying to calm them down.  
  
It’s more or less instinctive by now, but Marc still recites a line from the Dauntless manifesto in his mind.  _We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another._  
  
He is not carrying any weapon because he is not yet allowed to, but his clothes and sharp voice are enough to make most of the Factionless back up. Only two bolder men don’t start running immediately, but Marc doesn’t need weapons if he has his fists. He doesn’t even need to do much, just to show that he can use them. Soon they are alone in the alley. The boy is looking up at Marc with a mix of fear and admiration.  
  
“You better keep your distance from those,” Marc says and hauls him up.  
  
“Keeping distance from people just isn’t among my traits, I’m afraid,” the boy gives him a shaky smile.  
  
Only now Marc realizes what clothes the boy is wearing. It explains why he didn’t even try to fight back. “You're Amity. What are you doing in the city?” he asks.  
  
“Are we not allowed in the city?” the boy laughs like Marc just said a good joke, while Marc almost blushes – it’s not like the city belongs to the Dauntless, after all.  
  
“I didn’t mean...”  
  
“I know,” the boy smiles before Marc can really start defending himself. “I just wandered a bit further than my friends. We are here for the aptitude test. It’s tomorrow.”  
  
“Yes, I know.” Despite Marc’s curt answers and the distance he keeps, the boy is still smiling at him like he is ready to chat with him all night. Marc definitely has no time for that. “Well, I have to go,” he says. “They will leave you alone now.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
Marc blinks when the word is accompanied with the boy holding Marc’s hand in his. His hand is warm and the touch isn’t uncomfortable, it just feels odd.  
  
“Do I make you nervous?” the boy smiles. “I thought it was impossible since you’re Dauntless.”  
  
“I guess I’m just not used to people from other factions showing their affection to me.”  
  
“They should be glad that they have you. I’m glad, at least.”  
  
Marc nods and twists his hand free of the boy’s grip. He rolls up the collar of his leather jacket and turns away.  
  
“Wait!” the boy calls.  
  
Marc turns back.  
  
“You're taking the aptitude test tomorrow as well?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Maybe I'll see you there, then.”  
  
“Yes. Maybe.” He realizes that he’s probably being rude, but in his faction, they don’t do much talking. Amity, on the other hand, seem to be very talkative. “Well, don’t get into more trouble until tomorrow,” he says then.  
  
The boy laughs. “I’ll try. Good night.”  
  
When he’s about to turn the corner, Marc can see a group of boys in yellow and red run up to the boy, hugging him and talking one over each other. He smiles involuntarily. At least he now can be sure the boy is safe.

  
  
**Álvaro**  
  
The breakfast consists of plain porridge and black tea. It’s not like Álvaro isn’t used to it, but today he has no appetite whatsoever. His sister eats in a hurry and looks at the watch on her wrist several times.  
  
“Are you going somewhere?” Álvaro asks.  
  
“I’m helping at the orphanage today,” she says and gets up from the table. “Gotta run. Good luck, Álvaro.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
He does feel nervous, despite his family trying to calm him down. His sister took the aptitude test a few years ago and she was okay, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be. Still, when he walks out of the door, it feels like he’s stepping out into a world he doesn’t know.  
  
The bus is packed with people wearing mainly grey clothes. Álvaro notices a group of boys a bit older than him in the front. All are wearing grey clothes, much similar to what he is wearing. There is also Nacho, his neighbor. He had his initiation last year. Álvaro kind of wishes it was all behind him already.  
  
“Are you all right?” someone asks right next to him and Álvaro jumps up.  
  
A boy in a black suit with a white tie, the traditional uniform of Candor, is looking at him with concern.  
  
“Yes, I... thank you.”  
  
“You look terrible, you know,” the boy states.  _Of course. The Candor never lie._  
  
“I’m just nervous,” Álvaro says.  
  
“The aptitude test?” the boy smiles. “I’m taking it too.”  
  
Álvaro couldn’t even tell. The boy looks like he is going on vacation. Then the boy holds out his hand: “Jesé.”  
  
Álvaro doesn’t take the hand, he just bows his head. “Álvaro.”  
  
The bus stops in front of the school building. They get off, passing a group of Amity who apparently walked – or rather danced - all the way there, and go inside.

  
  
**Marc**  
  
The hall is full of people. Candor, dressed in dark suits with white ties, are talking quietly. The Erudite, each of them wearing at least one item of clothing in blue, are arguing with each other. Abnegation, resembling a grey smudge in their plain, baggy grey clothes, are keeping to themselves as usual.  
  
Marc turns around and looks to the other corner, where a group of people dressed in red and yellow clothes are sitting, laughing cheerfully and singing. He spots a familiar face crowned with fair curly hair. The boy is playing the guitar and someone in the group has a tambourine.  
  
“Can they be more annoying?” Iker Muniain rolls his eyes.  
  
“Maybe they think that  _we_  are annoying,” Marc shrugs. “I think they’re... nice.”  
  
“They have to be nice,” David De Gea laughs. “It’s the main trait of their faction. I don’t know about you, but only idiots can grin at everyone twenty four seven.”  
  
Marc wants to say something, but in that moment, the Abnegation woman overseeing the aptitude test for the Dauntless calls his name. He gets up and follows her.  
  
He has a faint idea of what the test is about and it doesn’t scare him because nothing ever does. He takes the glass of clear liquid from the woman without asking, and downs it.  
  
 _The room stays the same, but the woman and the chair disappear. On the floor, there are two baskets, one with a knife, one with a piece of cheese. Choose, a voice says. He grabs the knife without hesitating. Knife is always the better option, unless there’s also a gun. A huge dog appears next, baring its teeth and looking generally unfriendly. Marc grips the knife tighter and approaches the dog. In that moment, a child appears, drawing the dog’s attention. Marc lunges forward, determined to kill the dog in any way possible._  
  
That is when he opens his eyes and is back in the room. The woman turns to him, her face emotionless and eyes peaceful, without any glint like he knows from the other factions. "Your result is Dauntless,” she says. “No surprise, is it?"  
  
“No,” Marc smiles.  
  
“Well, we’re done,” the woman says.  
  
Marc walks out of the room and heads back to his group. He passes the group of Amity who are now discussing something vividly. The boy smiles at him. Marc nods curtly, then attempts a smile. When he’s already a few steps away from them, he can hear someone laugh loudly. “What charms do you possess, Sergi?” a voice asks. “I’ve never seen a Dauntless smile at anyone.”

  
  
**Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro keeps chewing on his lower lip. There seems to be some commotion near the rooms where the test is supposed to take place, and it takes long minutes before the Dauntless woman calls his name, despite the last person leaving the hall a long time ago.  
  
“Álvaro, right?” she asks, looking a bit distracted. “I’m Bea. Sit down and make yourself comfortable.”  
  
He resists the urge to jump up when she touches him. Physical contact is discouraged in Abnegation. He could count on one hand the times someone else than his family touched him. The woman doesn’t seem to pay attention to his discomfort, though, nor is she embarrassed by the way he blatantly stares at the tattoo on her arm, a jet black ink rose blooming on her shoulder with the stem wrapping around her elbow and forearm, ending at the wrist.  
  
 _Staring at people is impolite_ , his mother’s voice sounds in his mind. He averts his eyes.  
  
“Ready?” she asks.  
  
He doesn’t think he will ever be ready, but nods nevertheless. When she hands him a glass, he has to reason with himself that she doesn’t want to poison him. After all, everyone has survived the test until now.  
  
He drinks the contents of the vial with a silent prayer.  
  
When he comes back to his senses, Bea is sitting behind the computer, looking at him calmly. It reassures him a little bit.  
  
“What... was my result?” he asks. Speaking without being asked has always been his problem, as in his faction and mainly before his initiation, he is not supposed to do it.  
  
Bea doesn’t smile nor frown, which hopefully means that he didn’t offend her by asking a question. “Abnegation.”  
  
Álvaro nods and then bites his lip. “I have a question.”  _A ton of them, actually._  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Can you change factions even though… the test tells you that you belong to your own faction?”  
  
The woman leans back in her chair and folds her arms. “Of course. The test tells you where you belong because of your traits, but the final choice is yours. You should choose the faction you truly belong to. Not because of your family, but because of you. Only then you can give the best of you to the society. Faction before blood.”  
  
Álvaro nods and gets up, his legs still a bit wobbly. He now knows the answer to his question. What he doesn’t know is his answer to the one he will be asked the following day.


	2. Two

**Marc**  
  
This year, the Choosing Ceremony is hosted by Candor. The representative of Candor who is in charge of the ceremony is David Silva, a short man with slightly slanted eyes. He stays in the background while Xabi Alonso, the leader of Erudite, explains the system of the factions like they don’t know it by heart. Marc’s faction and the Erudite have good relations, but Marc personally can’t stand them.  
  
Alonso finishes and everyone applauds. The Candor representative takes his place only then. He reads the manifestos of all the factions, reminds them to choose wisely and pronounces the motto: “Faction before blood.” Then he starts calling the names.  
  
“Denis Suárez.”  
  
The boy gets up from the first line of Candor section and walks up to the stage. There is a knife and five bowls on the white table, one for each faction, each one filled with something else. Marc has always imagined cutting in his hand and letting his blood drop on the hot coals in the Dauntless bowl, watching it sizzle. It always looked so easy. Now, watching the boy on the stage, he’s not so sure anymore.  
  
The boy looks unsure of what to do. The representative gives him an encouraging nod. The boy takes the knife and winces slightly when he cuts in his hand. Then he holds his hand above one of the five bowls. His blood drops on the glass.  
  
“Candor.”  
  
The boy gives a small smile when the members of his faction clap their hands, and goes back to his place. A few members pat him on the back.  
  
The names follow, everyone watches, smiles, claps hands. It all looks easy again.  
  
“Jesé Rodríguez.”  
  
A Candor boy walks up, cuts in his hand and lets the blood fall in one bowl.  
  
“Erudite.”  
  
It’s the first time someone changed factions this year. Before Marc can think more about it, another name sounds in the quiet hall.  
  
“Sergi Roberto.”  
  
Marc lifts his head when the boy from the alley gets up from his seat and walks to the stage. He picks up the knife and cuts into his hand. He smiles at the members of Amity before letting his blood drop in the bowl of his faction.  
  
“Amity.”  
  
The other Amity members clap their hands, looking genuinely happy, like this is all some kind of feast.  
  
“Jorge Resurección.”  
  
A boy dressed in a dark suit and white tie comes to the stage. He hesitates for a moment before moving his hand over the bowl on the very left.  
  
“Dauntless!”  
  
Marc cheers with the others, despite being submerged in his own thoughts. The members of Candor seem to be taken aback a little bit and some of them seem to be consoling the boy’s family.  
  
“Iker Muniain.”  
  
Marc looks at Iker, who grins at him and springs up to the stage. None of his friends doubt what he will choose.  
  
“Dauntless.”  
  
The Candor representative winces when Iker jumps down the stage instead of using stairs. It causes a good while of banter among his friends, and even the Amity members laugh.  
  
“Álvaro Morata,” the representative calls when there is silence again.  
  
A boy in grey clothes walks over to the bowls and cuts into his hand. He lets his eyes wander in the audience and then for a moment, his eyes stop on the Candor boy now sitting with the Dauntless, like he’s looking for encouragement, and Marc knows what the boy wants to do.  
  
“Erudite.”  
  
A girl in the grey sea raises from her chair as soon as the blood drops fall in the bowl with water. “No,” she whispers before her mother pulls her back to the seat. “No, he didn’t!”  
  
“Calm down, Marta!” her mother hisses.  
  
“You want me to calm down? I just lost my brother! I just lost my brother to Erudite!”  
  
The rest of her words is lost when the representative calls another name.  
  
“Ander Herrera.”  
  
A boy in grey walks up the stage and accepts the knife the representative hands him. He stops at the five bowls, cuts into his hand and without hesitating chooses the one with grey rocks, deciding to stay with his own faction.  
  
“Abnegation,” the representative announces.  
  
The men and women in grey only smile appreciatively.  
  
“Antoine Griezmann.”  
  
The boy, dressed in a blue jacket, looks like he had practiced for this moment all his life. He chooses Erudite without hesitating for a split second.  
  
“Marc Bartra.”  
  
Marc gets up. Someone, probably Iker, shoves him forward playfully, but he can barely feel it. Everything is blurred, the factions look like smudges of color. Cutting in his hand is the easiest part. Then he looks at the white bowls. The coals in the bowl belonging to Dauntless are glowing, radiating heat. Marc looks at the flame engraved in the bowl and moves his hand.  _Faction before blood._  
  
The blood drops onto the dirt.  
  
“Amity.”  
  
He can see the members of his faction, now his former faction. Some look shocked, some are laughing hysterically. The red and yellow field erupts with loud cheering and laughter. Marc moves slowly, like he’s dreaming, when the members of his new faction surround him, clapping their hands and calling his name like they’ve been friends since eternity. He lifts his head and looks at the boy from the alley. He’s smiling kindly, and suddenly Marc understands. That boy knew Marc’s choice before Marc knew it himself.  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
The Erudite compound is glass and steel, clean and organized like the Erudite themselves. The nervousness Álvaro feels stands out in such environment, and the generally unfriendly faces don’t help.  
  
A man with ginger beard, dressed in a perfectly tailored blue suit, comes out of one of the rooms and looks at the group of initiates. “Welcome. For the newcomers, my name is Xabi Alonso and I’m the leader of Erudite. But I hope you already know that.”  
  
The way he is by no means humble makes Álvaro feel uncomfortable. He now understands why the Abnegation and the Erudite could never get along well.  
  
Alonso gives Álvaro a quick glance before looking at Jesé, the boy who transferred from Candor. “In Erudite, we believe that knowledge is power. It’s not important how you look or what you do, but what you know. Your IQ is what matters. That you were born Erudite doesn’t mean you have what it takes to be one, and that you were born Abnegation or Candor doesn’t mean that you don’t have it. You all deserve a chance to prove that you are who we are looking for.”  
  
Another man emerges from one of the rooms, beckons Alonso and then looks at the initiates.  
  
“This is Fernando Llorente, he’s your lector and is going to supervise your initiation,” Alonso says and leaves.  
  
Llorente scans the initiates’ faces with his cold, icy blue eyes. He doesn’t look nerdy like most of the Erudite, it seems like he cares for his appearance more than he would ever admit. “You are here because you are thirsty for knowledge,” he says. “And we won’t leave you thirsty. Nor hungry. That means it’s time for dinner.”  
  
The Erudite initiates laugh. Álvaro and Jesé are too terrified to make a sound. Llorente looks at them with certain disapproval. “You two, get changed and then come for dinner.”  
  
“What does the initiation look like?” one of the Erudite boys shouts.  
  
“We’ll talk about that tomorrow,” Llorente says curtly. “I provide no information to hungry people. Their minds are too occupied with the thought of meal.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
Marc has never been outside the city before. Only the members of Amity live behind the fence guarded by the Dauntless. They don’t even have headquarters like the other factions do, or not one in the proper sense of the word. It looks like a giant orchard full of trees and flowers, dominated by a huge mansion in the back. A man is waiting for them at the end of the road, dressed in a yellow shirt and red pants.  
  
“No runaways?” he grins when he looks at the group. “Good. What about that black crow?”  
  
Marc grits his teeth and thinks of a good thing to retort, but before he can say anything, the man is smiling at him and  _hugging_  him. “Chill out, it was a joke!” he says. “Welcome to Amity. I’m Cesc.”  
  
“Marc.”  
  
“I’m sorry, I can’t hide my excitement. You’re my first Dauntless ever!”  
  
“Cesc collects factions,” Sergi explains with a chuckle. “He already has Erudite and Abnegation, now also Dauntless... don’t worry, Cesc, next year some Candor has to fall in our trap!”  
  
“I don’t think it will ever happen,” Cesc sighs. “The Candor don’t exactly love us.”  
  
A few of the older members come out of the building, chatting and laughing excitedly. Every now and then, someone hugs their friend. Marc wonders how the hell he is supposed to survive there.  
  
“Come with me,” Sergi tells Marc suddenly and nods towards the house.  
  
“Why?” Marc asks with certain suspicion.  
  
“You look a bit out of place,” Sergi explains, pointing at Marc’s leather jacket and tight black T-shirt.  
  
 _I feel out of place,_  Marc wants to say, but for some inexplicable reason he lets Sergi take his hand and drag him inside.  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro almost never looks at his reflection in the mirror. In Abnegation, the mirrors are hidden and rarely used. He doesn’t want to look at himself now either, but the curiosity wins. He can feel the blood rise to his cheeks when he sees the boy in the mirror, the new Álvaro. The jeans are tighter than any of the pants he’s ever worn, and the blue checkered shirt also reveals much more of his body shape than he’s used to.  
  
Next to him, Jesé looks as much taken aback by who he has become by simply changing his attire. He’s chosen a blue suit and tie, probably to keep a bit of Candor in the Erudite world, and he gives Álvaro a small smile. “We still won’t fit in,” he says.  
  
“Probably not,” Álvaro says.  
  
The moment they walk in the dining room, the suspicion is confirmed. The rest of the initiates look at them and their gazes feel like X-Ray, like they can see through the disguise and take advantage of every weak spot there is. Álvaro is sure that he has many.  
  
“Look at the stiff,” the blonde boy, Griezmann, whistles. “Who’d have thought this was what he was hiding underneath those grey bags. He looked like a monk.”  
  
“Good that he got saved from the Abnegation monastery,” another boy nods.  
  
Álvaro’s face is tomato red by then.  
  
“Didn’t your leader say that the most important thing was what was  _in his head_?” Jesé retorts with the natural quickness of mind typical for his former faction. “Doesn’t look like  _you_  belong in this faction right now.”  
  
Griezmann gasps. “Look at this, Isco,” he laughs, but there is something fake in that laughter. “A Candor is telling us we don’t belong in our faction. Then it surely must be true.”  
  
Before Isco can react, the door opens and Llorente and Xabi Alonso walk in, discussing something vividly. Llorente stops at the initiates’ table. “I see our Abnegation transfer was more courageous than our Candor transfer,” he states. “But overall you two did much better than I did on my first day. I only dared to wear a blue tie.”  
  
“You were... a transfer?” Jesé blurts out, as though he can’t believe that this very depiction of all Erudite valors could ever belong anywhere else. “From which faction?”  
  
Llorente’s eyes linger on Álvaro for a few seconds before he answers: “Abnegation.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
Marc feels like the biggest moron on Earth in the colorful clothes. It’s the first time in his life he wears something different than black. He’s glad that at least nobody has yet tried to force him to wear the countless necklaces and bracelets the other Amity members seem to hoard on their necks and wrists.  
  
“You look good,” Sergi smiles, looking at him appreciatively, and somehow curiously.  
  
“What are you staring at?” Marc barks.  
  
“Nothing. I just thought... you know, I just thought the members of your faction had tattoos. It strikes me that you don’t have any.”  
  
“I promised myself the first one after I’d pass my initiation,” Marc says, his voice softening strangely. He clears his throat. “Some of the Dauntless can’t seem to get enough after they get the first one. I wonder if it’s the same in Amity, with these.” He points to the bracelets on Sergi’s wrists.  
  
“They are friendship bracelets,” Sergi smiles. “You have to make friends first.”  
  
“You obviously have many.”  
  
Sergi doesn’t say anything. Marc feels like he has just stated the obvious. Everyone in Amity is a friend of everyone. Sergi even speaks to Cesc like Cesc is his age and like they are equals. He can’t imagine talking to Álvaro Negredo, their leader, like that. It would be probably the last thing he’d do before dying, in the better case. Or becoming Factionless, in the worse.  
  
He wonders what possessed him to change his faction when he never even fathomed he would ever leave Dauntless. If he’s to judge himself, he’s not a friendly person at all.  
  
“I look like an idiot,” he states, pulling at the too-loose sleeves of his red shirt.  
  
“You’ll get used to it.” Sergi’s voice is soothing, like he’s talking to a scared kid. Marc isn’t scared, that he knows for sure, but he sort of feels like a kid.  
  
“Hopefully.”  
  
“You will. Everyone did.”  
  
Marc just shakes his head. Then he looks at Sergi sheepishly. “Who are the ones who transferred?”  
  
“See? You can’t even tell!” Sergi laughs, pulling him outside the house to some sort of a verandah. “Javi, over there, was Abnegation. And Jesús, there, was Erudite.”  
  
“That’s still not as much of a difference as it is between Dauntless and Amity.”  
  
“It’s said that the peace between our factions can only happen when we maintain distance from each other,” Sergi says and looks him in the eyes. “But you didn’t keep your distance from me. So if you think that you’ve chosen the wrong faction, rethink.”


	3. Three

**Álvaro**  
  
When the alarm clock in the common bedroom sounds, Álvaro feels like he didn’t get a single minute of sleep. Maybe he indeed didn’t. He kept thinking about his family, about his sister who looked as furious as any Abnegation could look, when he chose his new faction. And he kept thinking about everything Xabi Alonso had said about the Erudite. The more he thought about it, the less he was sure that he had what the Erudite were looking for.  
  
He almost doesn’t eat at the breakfast either, trying to ignore Griezmann’s snickering, Lucas Silva’s stupid laughter and Isco’s blatant staring. He feels almost relieved when Llorente comes to take them to one of the lecture halls. The man scares him in a way, but the fact that he used to belong to Álvaro’s old faction is somehow reassuring.  
  
“In Erudite, you have to be familiar with six areas. Sociology, Psychology, Mathematics, Science, Communication and History. You will learn all six during your initiation, but eventually, you will select one that will become your specialization,” Llorente says. “There will also be an intelligence test you will have to pass.”  
  
“What if we don’t pass it?” Jesé asks.  
  
“The initiates who don’t pass it have to leave our faction. There is no top ten rule, we’re not in Dauntless. There are fixed coefficients. You either pass or don’t pass.”  
  
For the first time, Jesé looks like he’s lost his words. Álvaro feels almost sick.  
  
Llorente’s eyes bore in his. “That, however, won’t be your case,” he says in a sharp voice. “I believe you are not here because of a whim. You are here because you feel that this is where you belong. All of you.”  
  
“Such feelings can be misleading, though,” Griezmann smirks, glancing at Álvaro.  
  
“So can be uncertainties,” Llorente says in a calm voice. Then he looks at Álvaro again and leans closer to him. “If you want to stay here, though, find your voice, boy. You will need it.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
It’s the first time Marc is woken up by sunlight. The amount of natural light and fresh air is almost overwhelming, after the years spent underground, in the fluorescent light of the narrow corridors in The Pit.  
  
The breakfast is different from what he knows from Dauntless. This looks like a hearty, homemade breakfast. There is fresh bread, butter, fruit, honey, oats and jars with milk.  
  
“So,” Cesc storms in, a half-eaten apple in one hand and a cup in the other. “Since we only have one initiate that isn’t originally from Amity, we’ll just throw him in the water... I mean fields... and see what happens.”  
  
Sergi giggles and leans closer to Marc. “With Cesc, most things just somehow happen,” he says. “But most of the time, he isn’t dangerous.”  
  
“Don’t scare our Dauntless, Roberto!” Cesc says calmly. “He already looks perplexed.”  
  
“I am,” Marc nods. “By the way the initiates are allowed to speak to the leaders.”  
  
“No, no, wait!” Cesc laughs and raises his hands, coordinating the apple and the cup so that both things survive. “I’m no leader. We don’t have a leader. I just speak for us all if necessary, but everything here is decided collectively.”  
  
“That’s impossible,” Marc objects.  
  
“Everything is possible,” Cesc opposes him. “We are not Erudite nor Dauntless. Here, we believe in democracy. Also friendship, peace, harmony and mutual understanding. All that makes it possible.”  
  
“Live and let live, and be happy, amen!” Jesús yells and everyone claps their hands.  
  
 _I’ve landed myself in the world of fools_ , Marc thinks, but resigns himself to the hug Sergi gives him.  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
Isco’s hand is flying over the interactive board so fast that it’s just a smudge in the corners of the other initiates’ eyes. Llorente, however, seems to be able to follow its movements. The board then goes dark for a moment before Isco’s score appears on it.  
  
“Not bad,” Llorente says.  
  
Isco wipes sweat off his forehead and goes back to his place. Álvaro and Jesé exchange terrified glances. What Llorente’s just called ‘not bad’ is ninety-five per cent.  
  
“Your rate should be around this or higher,” Llorente says. “What we teach you is one thing, but you have to study on your own. We provide you with the material, the work is yours. Morata.”  
  
Álvaro’s head snaps up. Llorente nods towards the board. “It’s basic Mathematics,” he says. “Stuff you – hopefully – learned at school.”  
  
Álvaro gets up, desperately trying to ignore the looks the other initiates are giving him, and he stands in front of the board. Llorente stands behind him and lays a hand on his lower back. Álvaro tenses. When the warmth of Llorente’s hand remains, he turns his head.  
  
“What’s the matter?” Llorente asks casually.  
  
“You’re touching me,” Álvaro sputters.  
  
“I know,” Llorente says calmly. “I’m creating a stress factor.”  
  
Someone, probably Isco, laughs. Álvaro just gulps and turns back to the board. Llorente’s hand stays where it is. Álvaro forgets about it eventually, his mind occupied with the operations, but once the board goes dark, he realizes that it’s still there.  
  
He waits for his result. Ninety-four per cent.  
  
“Good job,” Llorente praises him and Álvaro would swear that he gave his lower back a pat before finally releasing him.  
  
Going back to his place he realizes that he’s shivering, and somehow he feels like it has nothing to do with the test.  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
Marc sits at the river bank and soaks his hands in the cold water. Then he splashes it in his face. He’s not used to so much sun and he’s quite sure that he’s going to get sunburns by the end of the day.  
  
Something cracks behind him and he tenses immediately, ready to defend himself. Then he turns around and relaxes. Sergi lays his basket on the ground and folds his arms. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“I just needed...” Marc starts.  
  
“To be alone?”  
  
Suddenly, Marc feels somehow guilty. “Yes. Sorry.”  
  
“I understand. We’re probably a bit too much sometimes.”  
  
Marc looks at him.  
  
“All the time,” Sergi corrects himself and grins.  
  
Marc chuckles.  
  
“Can I ask you something?” Sergi looks at him.  
  
“What?”  
  
“It’s known that Dauntless almost never leave their faction. Why did you choose Amity? I mean, you’re so obviously Dauntless...”  
  
Marc just shrugs. “I know. But...” He wraps a straw around his finger and looks at Sergi who is listening to him attentively. “I liked my faction, I believed in it’s values. I still do. But there was something... rotten in it.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Sergi asks, sitting down next to him.  
  
Marc lets out a desperate laugh. “I don’t know how to explain it. You can’t imagine, you can’t understand... you’ve spent all your life here, in this safe heaven you’ve created.”  
  
“It’s safe thanks to the Dauntless,” Sergi says quietly, not sounding offended in the slightest.  
  
“But it’s not real,” Marc shakes his head. “The world outside is changing. The Erudite set up an alliance with the Dauntless. They want to overthrow the Abnegation in the government. The values don’t matter anymore, it’s all just about power now. Everyone sees it but they do nothing. And I’m the biggest coward of them all.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I ran away from it.”  
  
“It’s not cowardly to stand aside,” Sergi shakes his head. “It’s your choice. It doesn’t have to be your war.”  
  
Marc lifts his eyes in surprise. Sergi called it  _war_ , he was the first one to find the courage to call it that. It makes him wonder if the Amity are really as blissfully unaware of what is going on in the city as he had thought, or if they suspect something but have chosen to, like Sergi said, stand aside.  
  
“We have close relations with the Erudite, you know,” Sergi says like he can read his mind. “It’s hard not to notice that something is different now.”  
  
“You are different, though,” Marc says. “The Erudite need you, need the food you grow, but you don’t need them. You have an advantage most of the factions don’t have. You can afford not to take sides.”  
  
“I know,” Sergi smiles. “Isn’t that why you’ve chosen us?”  
  
“It was one of the reasons.”  
  
Sergi just raises his brows and smiles before splashing the cold water in Marc’s face playfully and running away. He doesn’t ask for the other reasons and Marc is grateful for it.


	4. Four

**Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro is clutching the pile of books he had taken in the library. The library looked like a safe haven as it was full of the older members and nobody paid attention to him. He’s dragging his feet behind him because he needs as much time as he can have away from Griezmann and Isco.  
  
When he’s passing the dining room, familiar voices get to his ears. It surprises him as it’s supposed to be empty now. He doesn’t know what possesses him the moment he moves closer to the door. He knows that eavesdropping is impolite, but he can’t help himself.  
  
He now recognizes the voices. The lower one belongs to Llorente, and he knows the other one too. From the aptitude test, from the choosing ceremony and from his first day here. It’s Alonso’s voice.  
  
“We have to find him,” Alonso says. He sounds agitated. “I don’t need to remind you how dangerous it is.”  
  
“What about the other factions?” Llorente asks, in his usual lazy voice. “Do they know what to look for?”  
  
“Some are easier to cooperate with than others,” Alonso sighs. “You know that. But that is my problem. You focus on our faction.”  
  
“If he’s here, I’ll find him,” Llorente says.  
  
“Find him as soon as possible.”  
  
Álvaro removes himself from the door, confused and guilty at the same time. He feels like he’s just overheard something he shouldn’t have, and he knows for sure he won’t be able to get it out of his mind for a long time.  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
“You have to find everyone until the dinner gong sounds,” Thiago explains. “Whoever manages to stay hidden until the gong, wins.”  
  
Marc just blinks when he realizes that he is indeed looking at a group of adults ready to play hide and seek in the fields.  _But then, what the hell is wrong with that,_  he thinks. It’s not like they don’t have crazy games in Dauntless, after all.  
  
“One more thing,” Thiago says, looking pointedly at Marc. “We play in pairs, it’s more fun. Usually we have the pairs established, but...”  
  
“He’s with me!” Sergi announces and grabs Marc’s hand.  
  
“You obviously want to lose again!” Thiago teases as he joins hands with Javi.  
  
Sergi just grins and watches Jesús, who goes to stand at one of the carriages.  
  
“You have a plan?” he whispers to Marc once he’s sure Jesús isn’t looking.  
  
Marc points to the tree standing in the middle of the orchard.  
  
“No!” Sergi shakes his head, looking at him like he went mad. “No, I’m not climbing that!”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“Because I’m afraid.”  
  
It almost shocks Marc. He never heard that sentence in his faction, as it’s the biggest taboo there is. “It’s just a tree,” he says, dragging Sergi there. “Don’t tell me you’ve never climbed one.”  
  
“I have, but not this one. I’m not suicidal.”  
  
“Suicidal,” Marc shakes his head and hops on the first branch. “Try climbing a skyscraper, then.”  
  
“No, thank you,” Sergi says, but takes his hand and follows him up.  
  
It’s not hard to climb the tree as it’s fairly old and patulous. The view from the highest branches is amazing. The fields are golden and the setting sun is painting the sky bright orange. Marc almost forgets that he’s not alone. Then he helps Sergi up and wraps his arms around him to steady him.  
  
“Oh God,” Sergi whispers, looking down, not paying attention to the view at all. “Oh God.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Marc grins. “I’m holding you.”  
  
“And you better don’t let me go.”  
  
“I’d never,” Marc says, turning his face to the setting sun. “I’d never.”  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
By the time he gets back to the study room, Álvaro’s head is full of thoughts. When Llorente enters a few minutes later, Álvaro bows his head so that he doesn’t have to look him in the eyes. He’s convinced that his face is bright red.  
  
“You know that what we do is mainly research,” Llorente says at the end of their lesson. “You probably remember that you had to drink something at the aptitude test. It was a simulation serum developed by the Erudite. More precisely, by Xabi Alonso himself. Maybe you’ve already realized that the voice you heard in your simulation during the aptitude test was his. We work with other factions as well, for example with Amity, to maximize the production of food. I said that there was no top ten rule, but there will be a ranking. If you rank high at your initiation, you will become researchers as well. But we also provide doctors, librarians and teachers. Those jobs are as important as any others. You shouldn’t feel like you failed if you are assigned one of these.”  
  
“I’ve heard it’s impossible to fail the initiation to Abnegation, is it true?” Griezmann asks suddenly.  
  
Álvaro takes a breath.  
  
“Well, how would you want to fail it?” Isco smirks before Álvaro can make a sound. “When you don’t have to be good at anything to belong to Abnegation?”  
  
“Stop it, Alarcón!” Llorente snaps. “He’s as much of an initiate as you are. All of you have equal chances.”  
  
Griezmann just rolls his eyes while Isco makes a non-committal sound and leaves the room. Llorente approaches Álvaro and gives him the unsettling look he apparently has reserved for him. “They’re giving you hell, aren’t they?” he asks.  
  
Álvaro is ready to say that he is fine, but then suddenly, he remembers that he is no more in Abnegation. He should give correct answers for the questions people ask him. “Yes.”  
  
“Hold on,” Llorente smiles. “Once you pass the initiation, you’ll be a true Erudite. Nobody will dare to say anything to you anymore.”  
  
Álvaro gives a small, nervous smile.  
  
“Trust me, I know,” Llorente adds. “I went through it too.”  
  
“I trust you,” Álvaro whispers.  
  
Llorente’s eyes are boring into his like the man is searching his very soul. “Good,” he says then. “Good.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
There is still cheerful banter at the table in the dining room when Marc leaves. Every day he manages to stay longer, every day he worries less, feels more carefree and happy. He’s stopped minding the way people hug him every time they see him, he’s even stopped minding Cesc’s attitude and the way the initiation is no big deal for him because “come on, you’re practically ours already, surely you can pick a few apples”.  
  
To Marc’s surprise, Sergi is waiting for him in the empty room, sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, tracing the pattern of the patchwork bed cover with his fingers. Marc sits on his own bed and looks at him.  
  
“You look like you have some mischievous plan,” Marc states.  
  
Sergi grins and narrows his eyes. “Give me your hand.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Your hand.”  
  
Marc’s old instincts are telling him not to fall for something so stupid, but there is a new part of his mind now that makes him outstretch his arm towards Sergi. Sergi reaches in his pocket and produces a red and yellow bracelet. “I shouldn’t, because you almost killed me today,” he says and ties the bracelet around Marc’s wrist. “But it was so amazing that I forgive you.”  
  
“Wouldn’t you forgive me anyway?” Marc grins. “I mean, Cesc speaks about forgiveness all days long.”  
  
“Of course I would, eventually,” Sergi nods. “But it was really nice to get a glimpse of the Dauntless life. Not that I’d want to stick to it, though.”  
  
“You surprised me,” Marc smiles. “I didn’t really think I’d persuade you to do it.”  
  
“I surprised myself,” Sergi laughs. “But I guess that once I take the first step, I stop being afraid so much.”  
  
“It’s always about the first step.”  
  
Sergi gets up and then climbs on Marc’s bed. Marc has witnessed this a couple times in Amity. Friends move closer to each other when they are about to discuss something important, or generally when they need to feel more at ease.  
  
“I envied you at the Choosing ceremony,” Marc says quietly. “The way you didn’t even think about your choice. You knew where you were supposed to go, and you just followed.”  
  
“If you mean the test, the test didn’t tell me I should stay in Amity.”  
  
Marc lifts his head and looks at him in surprise. “And what did it tell you? Please, don’t tell me it was Dauntless!”  
  
Sergi laughs genuinely. “No, it wasn’t.”  
  
“So what?”  
  
“Candor,” Sergi says. “I was unable to lie. I kind of expected it. I never lie.”  
  
“Then why did you choose Amity?” Marc asks.  
  
Sergi shrugs. “I have my own theory of choosing factions, you know.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“I think that if you choose to stay with your own faction, it’s because you have all you need, all that you desire. But if you decide to change factions, it means that you’re craving something your faction couldn’t give you. You go where you think you can get it. Remember the Abnegation boy who chose Erudite? Maybe he wanted knowledge. Or that Candor that chose Dauntless? Maybe he needed the thrill, the danger.”  
  
“What did I need, then?” Marc asks quietly.  
  
Sergi doesn’t miss a beat. “Love.”


	5. Five

**Álvaro**  
  
The worst habit Griezmann and Isco have is to talk about Álvaro in his presence, pretending that he isn’t there. In Abnegation, being practically invisible was necessary, but here they are not in Abnegation and Álvaro finds it irritating.  
  
“It seems like he’s becoming Llorente’s pet,” Isco drawls, gets up from his bed and goes to lay a book he’s just finished on the table.  
  
“Doesn’t matter whose pet he is,” Griezmann shrugs. “As far as I know, not even sucking Llorente’s dick will increase his IQ.”  
  
Álvaro’s face turns tomato red. In the next moment, he’s through the door, escaping Isco’s hands that want to hold him back.  
  
“Now you stepped over the line, Griezmann,” Isco says before the door closes.  
  
Álvaro thinks that they both stepped over the line a long time ago already, but he doesn’t feel like telling them. He doesn’t feel like talking at all.  
  
It takes mere minutes before he hears the door leading to the roof of the compound open and he somehow knows that it’s Isco, but he doesn’t look at him. Isco stops a few meters away from him. “Look, I... I’m sorry,” he says, his voice nervous and shaking. “I apologize. For Griezmann... and for myself. We were acting like jerks.”  
  
Álvaro doesn’t even move. Isco keeps standing there for a moment, then gives up and moves to turn around and leave. In that moment, Álvaro looks up at him. “Do you know why I left?” he asks quietly.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Do you know why I wanted to join Erudite?”  
  
“No,” Isco says and then sits down carefully. “Want to tell me?”  
  
“I wanted to help people,” Álvaro says. “But  _really_  help them. My sister helps in all those orphanages, shelters... It’s good, I know it is, but... it won’t change anything. I wanted to help by changing something.”  
  
“That makes sense,” Isco nods.  
  
“I need knowledge for that.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
Álvaro keeps looking at Isco, like he is not convinced that Isco really understands. Isco scratches his head. “Look, I’ve never thought that you’ve chosen the bad faction. Or maybe... okay, on the first day, I did. You really looked like you came from a whole different planet. But now I see that you really want to belong with us. Because if not, why would you still be listening to Griezmann’s stupid remarks and putting up with Llorente’s idiotic stress factors?”  
  
Álvaro gives a small smile. Isco holds out his hand. “Friends?”  
  
Álvaro just stares at him, then shakes his hand hesitantly. “We don’t form real friendships in Abnegation,” he says. “Sorry if I’m not a good friend at first, then.”  
  
“Not like I started the friendship well either,” Isco grins. “We both have a lot of space for improving.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
The river is murmuring quietly, but Marc is waiting for a different sound. He’s waiting for the train that always passes this point, high above the orchards. He does it every night, imagining himself jumping on the train or off it like he used to do.  
  
“You’ll have to let go eventually, you know,” a quiet voice says behind him.  
  
“I wish it was easier,” Marc sighs. “Well, at least here I don’t have to be afraid of failing the initiation and becoming factionless. Not as much as I’d have to in Dauntless, at least.”  
  
“Why would you kick people out of your own faction, that makes no sense,” Sergi shakes his head and sits in the grass.  
  
“Nobody’s ever been kicked out of Amity?”  
  
“As far as I remember, no,” Sergi says.  
  
“When you’re Dauntless, I’d says you’re always on the verge of becoming factionless. Well, not always, but before you become truly Dauntless, and then when you become too old. You can either leave and become factionless, or you can jump into the Chasm and kill yourself.”  
  
“That’s cruel,” Sergi whispers.  
  
“Sometimes I thought that I wouldn’t want to become old. That I’d want to die before I’d have to make this choice. It feels strange to realize that I won’t have to.”  
  
Sergi moves closer to him and touches his wrists. It’s a light touch, it’s not even close to holding hands the way Marc has seen couples do, but there is something intimate in it. Sergi then runs his hands up Marc’s arms, touching him just with his fingertips, but he can still feel it through the thin fabric of his shirt.  
  
“I would jump,” Marc whispers then, when Sergi reaches his shoulders.  
  
Next thing he knows, Sergi’s lips are on his, kissing him desperately like he doesn’t know any other way to shut him up, to stop the words he doesn’t want to hear, and Marc surrenders, lets Sergi deepen the kiss and lay him on his back in the cold grass.  
  
Suddenly he realizes that the first person that’s ever gotten him on his back is an Amity boy, and the thought is so funny that he starts laughing and can’t stop for long minutes.  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
The lights of the city look almost like fireflies. Álvaro and Isco are alone on the roof of the Erudite compound, looking at the panorama in silence.  
  
“In Candor, they give the initiates the truth serum and make them spill out their darkest secrets,” Isco says suddenly. “When you don’t have secrets, you have nothing to hide anymore. No reason to lie.”  
  
For a while, there is silence again. Only the distant noise of the train passing sounds in the darkness.  
  
“Do you have secrets, Álvaro?” Isco asks then.  
  
“Everyone does, I think,” Álvaro shrugs. “But I don’t think mine are dark.”  
  
“I actually felt guilty every time I told you that you didn’t belong in Erudite,” Isco whispers. “Because neither do I.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“According to the aptitude test, I don’t belong in Erudite. I don’t belong in any faction.”  
  
“That’s impossible.”  
  
“No, it isn’t. They call it divergent. Alonso once spoke about it. It’s when your test is inconclusive because you could belong to more factions. He said the divergent were a threat to the society. That they needed to be eliminated. That  _we_  needed to be...”  
  
Álvaro looks at him with wide eyes. “But if the Erudite are after the divergent, why did you choose this faction? You would have been safer in Abnegation. Or Amity.”  
  
“I know,” Isco nods. “I was ready to choose Abnegation. I was already holding my hand above their bowl. But then I asked myself, could I ever fit in Abnegation? And the answer was no. Then I thought, could I spend all my life in Amity? Do I have what it takes to be Dauntless? Would Candor ever take me in? And I realized that the only faction I knew and loved, the only one I belonged to, no matter what, was my own. I didn’t want to leave. I decided to keep it secret even from the Erudite. Though it’s the hardest task to keep secrets from them... from us.”  
  
“Why did you tell me, then?” Álvaro asks. “We’re not supposed to share our results and...”  
  
“Because I couldn’t be alone with that secret anymore.”  
  
Álvaro takes a deep breath and then holds Isco’s hands in his. It’s maybe the first time he is the one to initiate any physical contact, and it takes Isco by surprise. “I will keep your secret,” he says. “No matter what. I promise.”  
  
Isco just keeps looking at him for a moment, then he moves closer and lays his head on Álvaro’s chest. Álvaro hesitates, but then he wraps his arms around Isco and places a kiss in his hair like a seal of the promise.  
  
“I thought the Abnegation didn’t do this,” Isco mumbles.  
  
“They don’t,” Álvaro smiles. “But I’m not Abnegation anymore, am I?”


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Visiting Day is a day when the families of the initiates are allowed to visit them and spend some time with them, whether they are from the same faction or not.

**Marc**  
  
The Visiting Day is no different from other days for Marc. He doesn’t even expect his family to be there. He knows that for his family, he probably stopped existing the moment he chose Amity. They’d maybe get over it if he’d chosen Candor, maybe they’d be fine even with Erudite. But they’ll never forgive him for choosing a faction the Dauntless have for a bunch of fools.  
  
He knew what he was leaving behind and he had thought that he was ready to face the consequences. It surprises him when he realizes that it actually hurts.  
  
Thiago is chatting with his younger brother, a couple of other Amity initiates are encircled by family members.  
  
Suddenly Marc spots a young woman dressed in blue. It surprises him to see an Erudite in the middle of this all-Amity family feast. Before he can think about it, Sergi runs up to her and hugs her. Then he turns to Marc and beckons him to come closer.  
  
“Anna, this is Marc,” he introduces them with a wide smile. “Marc, this is my sister, Anna.”  
  
Anna smiles and shakes Marc’s hand. “So you’re the famous transfer, then,” she smiles.  
  
“Famous?” Marc frowns.  
  
“I work as a doctor and a few of the nurses are Dauntless,” Anna explains. “Your faction is still not completely over your transfer.”  
  
“They should get over it because we’re not letting him go!” Sergi grins.  
  
“I can imagine, he’s already in Cesc’s claws, there’s no way out,” she smiles.  
  
Marc leaves them alone after that, feeling like he shouldn’t take away the time they have to spend together. He still waits for Anna before it’s time to leave.  
  
“I wanted to ask you something,” he says.  
  
“You wanted to ask me if I made a good choice?” she smiles knowingly. “I’m happy in Erudite. I probably would have been happy here as well. But in Erudite, I can give the society the best of me. I’m a better doctor than I would be a farmer.” She touches Marc’s arm and smiles. “Take care of my brother. He’s a bit gullible sometimes.”  
  
“I noticed,” Marc nods.  
  
“I’m glad he will have someone with more common sense next to him.”  
  
“Sergi has more common sense than people think,” Marc shakes his head.  
  
“Maybe,” Anna nods thoughtfully. “And I don’t know if it’s good or bad.”  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro stands at the top of the stairs, leaning over the rail, watching Jesé embrace a woman dressed in a black and white dress and get a pat on the back from a man in a dark suit. Griezmann is chatting with his brother and sister, both dressed in blue. Isco walks past Álvaro and looks at him. “You don’t have your family here?”  
  
“No,” Álvaro says quietly. “Even if they wanted to come, they wouldn’t be able to. The Erudite banned the Abnegation from entering the compound.”  
  
Isco nods slowly. “It’s bullshit, these fights.”  
  
“Yes,” Álvaro nods. “I mean, the Abnegation would never want anything bad for the society. They wouldn’t want to keep anything for themselves, it’s just against their nature.”  
  
Isco is looking at him with certain curiosity.  
  
“What is it?” Álvaro asks and runs a hand through his hair nervously.  
  
“You already say  _they_ ,” Isco says. “When you talk about the Abnegation.”  
  
“And it’s a good thing,” Llorente’s voice suddenly sounds behind Álvaro’s back and Álvaro startles when the instructor lays a hand on his shoulder. “He knows where he belongs.”  
  
Isco doesn’t answer, he just keeps looking at him, and Álvaro can almost see the fight that’s going on in his mind. He doesn’t know why, but he prays for Isco not to say anything.  
  
“Don’t you have your family over there?” Llorente asks then with a pointed look at a group of Erudite standing away from the other families.  
  
“Yes,” Isco almost whispers and descends down the stairs.  
  
Llorente turns to Álvaro and smiles. “I’m sorry that you can’t have your family here today,” he says.  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Álvaro shakes his head. “Maybe... they wouldn’t even want to come.”  
  
He doesn’t even notice when Llorente wraps an arm around his waist and leads him away from the sight of happy reunited families. “Why?” he asks.  
  
“I don’t think that they were happy about my choice.”  
  
“I would expect the Abnegation to be more tolerant and understanding,” Llorente says and then pauses. “Or maybe I wouldn’t.”  
  
“They are not bad,” Álvaro objects.  
  
“No, of course not,” Llorente smiles and pats his side. “But I don’t think that they should be the leading faction either. Definitely not just them.”  
  
“They were never trying to...”  
  
“They are in the government,” Llorente shakes his head. “And they are not very favorable when it comes to progress. And we need progress. Things have to change for the common good.”  
  
“But shouldn’t progress be available for everyone?” Álvaro asks, daring to look Llorente in the eyes.  
  
Llorente smiles condescendingly. “You tend to forget where I came from,” he says. “But do you think that the factionless will ever give anything back to the society they chose not to belong to?”  
  
“Maybe they didn’t choose it.”  
  
“Álvaro, what would you do if you knew you couldn’t belong in Erudite? That you would surely fail the initiation?”  
  
“I’d have stayed in Abnegation,” Álvaro whispers.  
  
“See?” Llorente smiles. “You’d have an option. Nobody has to be factionless if they use their common sense.” He gives Álvaro one last pat on the lower back and disappears behind one automatic door.  
  
Álvaro touches the place where he can still feel the tingling sensation the warmth of Llorente’s hand left, and wonders whether he is supposed to adopt the lector’s opinion, question it or discard it.


	7. Seven

**Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro knows something is wrong the moment he walks in the dining room. He feels all the eyes on him like the first day, except now he doesn’t know the reason. He pretends that he doesn’t care and sits next to Isco.  
  
“You’re lucky to be here now, Morata,” Lucas Silva notes, reading the newspaper.  
  
Álvaro looks at Isco first, but Isco just shrugs. “Why?” he asks then, feigning indifference.  
  
“Well, at least you don’t have to dig yourself a hole to hide in like the rest of your former faction,” Lucas shrugs and offers him the newspaper.  
  
Álvaro scans the first page and then drops it on the table. He wishes he could burn it, burn all the newspapers that are available in the city, but it would be useless anyway. People have already read all those lies.  
  
“I knew the Abnegation weren’t the saints they were pretending to be,” Griezmann catches on immediately. “I mean, nobody can be such a saint as Iniesta made himself look like. He overacted that.”  
  
“He never overacted anything!” Álvaro says and gets up, ignoring Isco who is trying to pull him back. “These are all lies! We have never tried to hoard anything!”  
  
“So suddenly it’s  _we_  again?” Griezmann folds his arms. “Your leader is a fraud and your faction are a bunch of liars!”  
  
Before he can think about the consequences, Álvaro reaches over the table and grips the blue fabric of Griezmann’s shirt to pull him up from his seat. “Shut up!” he growls.  
  
“Enough!” Llorente’s voice suddenly sounds next to them.  
  
Álvaro is still gripping the front of Griezmann’s shirt when Llorente steps between them and tears them apart. “Where do you think you are, in Dauntless?” he snaps. “Here we win fights with arguments, not with punches!”  
  
“He has no arguments, that’s his problem!” Griezmann snorts.  
  
“You have none either!” Álvaro snaps.  
  
“Don’t I? How many Abnegation initiates decided to stay with their own faction at the Choosing ceremony? One? Two? Why didn’t you stay there if it’s so perfect?”  
  
“I never said it was perfect!” Álvaro cries. “But what you say, what they say, isn’t true!” He looks at Llorente desperately like he needs him to confirm it.  
  
“I’m not a judge here,” Llorente says resolutely. “And neither are you. Focus on the things that immediately concern you and leave the affairs of  _other_  factions to people capable of solving them.”  
  
“Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?” Jesé asks.  
  
“No,” Llorente says calmly. “Knowing your place definitely isn’t hypocritical.”  
  
Isco moves only then, grabbing Álvaro’s hand and pulling him away from the group and out of the dining room. Álvaro still struggles to get free and it surprises Isco as much as it surprises himself.  
  
“I know that you’re mad,” Isco says when he finally calms down a little bit. “But you can’t do this!”  
  
“Can’t defend my family and friends from these lies?” Álvaro glares at him.  
  
“No,” Isco says with a serious face. “Not when it’s Xabi Alonso who wrote all those lies.”

  
**Marc**  
  
“It’s here,” Cesc sighs and drops the newspaper on the table.  
  
“What? The invasion of grasshoppers you’ve been fearing for years?” Javi asks and Sergi almost drowns in his glass of milk.  
  
Cesc, however, doesn’t laugh. “The Erudite accused Abnegation of hoarding supplies, purposely not voting for financing important research and so on and so on,” he says.  
  
Javi pales. “Abnegation hoarding... who could even think up such thing?”  
  
“Alonso,” Cesc says. “They and the Dauntless want the Abnegation to leave the government.”  
  
Thiago reaches for the newspaper, but then he notices Sergi’s face. “You don’t look surprised,” he notes.  
  
“His sister is Erudite and his best friend is a former Dauntless,” Jesús reminds him. “He must have known something.”  
  
“But that doesn’t mean that I endorse it,” Sergi says.  
  
“No, of course not, nobody is saying that,” Jesús says quickly.  
  
Cesc sighs and gets up. Javi frowns. “Where are you going?”  
  
“I need to check on something,” Cesc says. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”  
  
“You better be,” Thiago mumbles. “Our initiation is today, and it kind of wouldn’t work without you.”

  
  
**Álvaro**  
  
Álvaro’s hair is the longest it’s ever been. He hasn’t cut it since he left his old faction, and now he almost can’t recognize himself. It gives him a more boyish look, but the strands falling in his eyes also make it harder for the others to read his face. He decides to keep it.  
  
He can already hear the voices of the other initiates, chatting excitedly, waiting for the results of their tests. For a reason, he isn’t as nervous as he had thought he would be. Something tells him that he did well, that he’s not going to be kicked out. And if he didn’t score high enough to become a researcher, he doesn’t mind. He’d be as fine with becoming a teacher as he would be with any other job. Any that would allow him to serve the others.  
  
He can imagine the initiates in his former faction reciting the manifesto right now. He recites it for himself, one last time, only in his mind, but he can’t help himself and says the last lines aloud: “To project always outward, until I disappear, and only God remains.” Not everyone recites the final line as not everyone is religious, but he always does.  
  
The automatic door opens and Isco runs in. “Alonso is coming!” he announces excitedly. “They’re going to tell us the results!”  
  
Álvaro nods and walks to the door calmly.  
  
“Are you not excited?” Isco asks him with bewilderment.  
  
“I am,” Álvaro assures him.  
  
“Come on, even the dead look more excited!” Isco pokes him in the ribs and Álvaro laughs shortly.  
  
The other initiates are gathered in the main lecture hall. Álvaro and Isco join them just in time because in the next moment, Xabi Alonso enters the hall, followed by Llorente.  
  
This time, Alonso is wearing white pants, a blue sweater and a blue jacket. He sort of reminds Álvaro of the millionaires he has seen in the history books, hanging around expensive ships and drinking champagne. Álvaro tries his best not to look like he hates the man as much as he really does.  
  
“It’s nice to see you again,” Alonso says, scanning the initiates’ faces the way he did on their first day. “When you came here, we didn’t know you at all. We didn’t know who you were and what you could do. You wanted to belong in our faction. Most of you now do.”  
  
His words are met with complete silence. Only then the initiates start looking at each other, their faces beyond worried.  
  
“I told you on your first day that your IQ was what mattered. It indeed is what matters the most in our faction. I am the leader of Erudite because my IQ is the highest in this faction. To the Abnegation-born fellow over there, I’m not vain, I’m stating a fact.”  
  
Álvaro raises his head and looks Alonso in the eyes. “I don’t think that you’re vain.”  
  
“Good,” Alonso smiles contentedly and exchanges looks with Llorente. “I see your lector did a good work.” He looks at a pod and then at the initiates again. “You proved that your IQ was high enough to belong in our faction. All but one.”  
  
Álvaro feels Isco’s touch on the back of his hand and he entwines their fingers, squeezing tight.  
  
“Jesé Rodríguez?” Alonso asks with raised eyebrows.  
  
Jesé gets up, his face ashen and lips a tight line.  
  
“Your score wasn’t bad at all, but it wasn’t enough,” Alonso says. “I’m sorry. We are looking only for the best.”  
  
Jesé is still staring at him like he can’t understand what Alonso is saying. Alonso’s focus is, however, already on the other initiates.  
  
“The rest of you are from now on rightful members of Erudite. Congratulations.”  
  
Isco lets out the breath he probably didn’t know he was holding and slumps against Álvaro a little bit. Álvaro rubs his back comfortingly. Griezmann acts like he never expected anything else, but Álvaro notices the weight that has lifted from his shoulders. Jesé just sits down and stares into space because he seems to have no idea of what else he should do.  
  
“Now, you should celebrate,” Llorente announces cheerfully. It seems that he’s the one who can be indulgent, while Alonso has to keep his face.  
  
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Griezmann grins and gets up. On his way to the door he stops in front of Álvaro, shifts the weight from one foot to another hesitantly, and then offers Álvaro his hand. “Can we forget it?” he asks.  
  
“Forget what?” Álvaro asks.  
  
“We belong to the same faction now. I mean... there’s no reason for rivalry anymore.”  
  
“Was there ever a reason?” Álvaro raises his brows.  
  
Griezmann chuckles. “Of course. All of the initiates were threats to me, and you were the biggest one.”  
  
“Was that a compliment?”  
  
“I guess,” Griezmann grins.  
  
“Fine,” Álvaro says and shakes his hand.  
  
Griezmann disappears through the door, joining other initiates. Álvaro turns around and stops. Jesé is still sitting in his seat, unmoving. When Álvaro approaches him, he doesn’t even acknowledge his presence. Only when Álvaro touches his hand, he lifts his eyes and looks at him.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Álvaro says.  
  
“What am I going to do now?” Jesé whispers. “What am I going to do?”  
  
Álvaro doesn’t know what to say. He’s never thought of what he would do if he failed the initiation. He just never allowed himself to think about it. “It’s not the end of the world,” he says comfortingly. “There are still people who can take care of you.”  
  
Jesé laughs hysterically. “Your former faction, right?” he asks. “So I should be waiting until some Abnegation takes pity on me and gives me food? What do you think I am, a stray dog?”  
  
“No,” Álvaro says and grabs his hands. “But you don’t have a choice.”  
  
“There is always a choice,” Jesé says, then jumps up and runs out of the hall.

  
  
**Marc**  
  
The dining room smells heavily of apples and honey. Marc is sitting with the other initiates, waiting for the initiation results.  
  
Then Cesc storms in, followed by Javi who is trying to hand him a pad, while Cesc keeps refusing to take it.  
  
“I bring good news!” Cesc announces cheerfully and looks at Javi. “Hide that thing, I can remember one information!”  
  
Javi just rolls his eyes and sets the pad on the table.  
  
“You all passed the initiation!” Cesc says and spreads his arms as if he wants to hug them all at once.  
  
His words are followed by loud cheering.  
  
“Though I was a bit hesitant about letting our Dauntless transfer pass,” Cesc sighs. “I’m sorry, but your singing is terrible.”  
  
Thiago and Sergi practically cry from laughing too much at the memory. Even Marc laughs with them, not offended in the slightest.  
  
“It’s time to celebrate!” Cesc says.  
  
“Isn’t it always?” Marc mumbles.  
  
If Cesc wanted to say something more, it is now lost in the clinking of dishes and glasses, and the laughter as also the older members join them. Someone brings a guitar and a tambourine.  
  
“Do you still have regrets?” Sergi asks when he and Marc find a quieter place. “About leaving your old faction?”  
  
Marc looks him in the eyes and then shakes his head. “No.”  
  
Sergi smiles and there’s something pure and genuine in that smile, and also something resembling relief. Then he pulls out a necklace and places it around Marc’s neck. Marc takes the silver pendant and lifts it to his eyes. It’s a tree placed in a circle, the symbol of Amity.  
  
“I was hoping I could give it to you once, since the first day,” Sergi says.  
  
“Since my first day here?” Marc asks.  
  
“No,” Sergi smiles. “Since the day I met you.”  
  
Marc doesn’t know what to say, so he just lets Sergi take his hand and lead him to their room.

  
  
**Álvaro**  
  
“Why aren’t you with the others?” Llorente asks.  
  
“Neither are you,” Álvaro shrugs.  
  
“I had an important meeting with Xabi,” Llorente says and leans over the wall. “We were discussing a serious matter.”  
  
He pauses and looks at Álvaro like he’s daring him to ask what the matter was. Álvaro is curious by nature, but he doesn’t like being manipulated, so he stays silent. Llorente finally starts talking himself. “There are some people who are threatening the system of our society,” he says. “They are called  _divergent_. Have you ever heard about them?”  
  
Álvaro takes a sharp breath. “No,” he whispers then.  
  
“They don’t belong in the system, and endanger it as such. That’s why they need to be eliminated.” Llorente looks Álvaro in the eyes and lowers his voice so that he’s practically whispering. “For the common good.” He runs a hand through his hair and blinks a few times. Álvaro notices that he looks tired. “However, they are not the priority right now. There is another thing we have to do, and maybe it will solve also this little problem. And if not, I know where to look for them.”  
  
In that moment, Álvaro understands who Llorente and Alonso were talking about in the empty dining room, and at the same time he understands Llorente’s interest in him. Llorente thinks that Álvaro, not Isco, is divergent.  
  
And only a split second later, Álvaro decides to keep it that way.


	8. Eight

  
**Marc**

Sergi’s skin feels like a freshly shelled walnut, soft and slightly damp. Marc laughs in his mind. When exactly did he start comparing things to fruit and plants?

“Aren’t you afraid that someone will come here and see us?” he asks.

“No,” Sergi mumbles against Marc’s neck. “Even if they saw us, they would probably be just happy. Mainly Thiago.”

Marc chuckles. Thiago always knows about romances before they are actually formed, and he usually looks happier than the actual couples.

“But they won’t,” Sergi says. “They’ll celebrate until the morning probably. That’s why I chose this night.”

“Or you were waiting until tonight so that you’d be sure it would be someone from your own faction,” Marc teases.

“Why do you think?” Sergi grins. “Wouldn’t it be more adventurous with a Dauntless?”

“Since when are you adventurous?”

Sergi puffs his cheeks and then tries his best to look intimidating. “Will you shut up or do I have to make you?”

Marc narrows his eyes. “I’m not opposed to the idea.”

“Fine,” Sergi says. “You asked for it.”

 

**Álvaro**

Álvaro walks in the dining room where everyone is celebrating. It takes him a bit of time to find Isco in the chaos. Finally he sees him, talking to two older members, laughing about something.

“Oh!” Isco cries out when he notices him. “Álvaro! Have you met Toni? This is Toni. And this is Álvaro. The smartest and bravest thing to ever come out of Abnegation!”

“Hi, Toni,” Álvaro shakes the man’s hand, trying to sound polite despite being nervous. “Nice to meet you. I’d like to borrow Isco for a while if you don’t mind.”

Toni just smiles and goes to refill his glass. Álvaro seizes Isco by his arm before he can run away from him. It takes a bit of effort to get his attention because Isco is already mildly drunk. “They know that someone in this faction is divergent,” Álvaro whispers. “They don’t know it’s you.”

He keeps the fact that Llorente suspects him, to himself.

“And what should I do now?” Isco shrugs, far less concerned than he, in Álvaro’s opinion, should be. “It’s a bit too late to change factions now.”

Álvaro looks around and then grabs Isco and pulls him to the nearest corner. “Alonso and Llorente are up to something. Something big. Llorente told me that it might solve also the problem with the divergent.”

“And?” Isco looks at him. “What do you want me to do about it?”

“You have to get out of here,” Álvaro whispers. “When this thing starts. Alonso will be too busy to notice.”

“But not Llorente.”

“Leave Llorente to me,” Álvaro says.

Isco frowns. “What do you want to do?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just trust me. You have to get as far as possible. Promise me that you’ll stay safe.”

“Okay. Fine. If there’s a safe place for someone like me, I’ll stay there,” Isco sighs.

 

**Marc**

It is still dark outside when the door of the bedroom screeches. Thiago just growls, turning away from the light pouring in through the gap. Sergi doesn’t wake up at all. But Marc is used to watching his back. He’s up when the first sound gets to his ears and quickly makes sure that he’s in his own bed. Even though nobody would really mind if he weren’t.

The person at the door is Cesc. He doesn’t say a word, just beckons Marc to follow him out of the room.

“What’s going on?” Marc asks when they leave the building.

“I have to show you something,” Cesc says.

They head to the wooden sheds. The one they stop at looks like any other shed, but it has a huge lock on the door and also a red sign warning before rat poison. Marc wonders whether it has something to do with rats and why the hell Cesc deals with them in the middle of the night?

He holds his breath when the door finally comes open and the light of Cesc’s torch illuminates the inside of the shed. There are wooden crates, similar to the ones they use to store fruit in, but this is not fruit. The crates are full of guns.

“But... you’re Amity!” Marc manages.

“Amity doesn’t equal stupid!” Cesc retorts in the sharpest voice Marc has ever heard him use. “Can you shoot them?”

“Of course,” Marc nods.

“Can you teach us how to shoot them?”

Marc looks at him incredulously. “Do you want to go against the principles of our faction?”

“If the other factions go against the principles of theirs, I want to protect our faction. And the people who need protection.”

Marc nods slowly and then looks at Cesc with a crooked smile. “And I thought Amity and Dauntless could never have anything in common.”  
  


 


	9. Nine

**Álvaro**  
  
The morning is strangely quiet for Álvaro. Then he realizes that it’s because he’s alone in the bedroom. Usually he’s woken up by Griezmann’s babbling and Isco dropping things, but this time he wakes up by himself.  
  
The next second the door flies open and Isco storms in. “Job assignments are out!” he announces.  
  
“Great,” Álvaro says and gets out of bed.  
  
“Is this your excitement again? Like  _seriously_?” Isco rolls his eyes.  
  
“What did you get?” Álvaro asks while getting dressed.  
  
“I didn’t look, I want to do it with you! So could you hurry up, I can’t hold my excitement, because unlike you I have some!”  
  
Álvaro laughs and lets Isco grab his hand and pull him to the main hall where a huge board is lit. Isco looks at it and hugs Álvaro excitedly. “You got a job in research!” he says. “Wow. Wow. Griezmann is probably trying to hang himself right now, he’s ranked behind you!”  
  
Álvaro just stares at the board in disbelief. “But... I didn’t...”  
  
“I got the power station, well... could be worse, at least I’m not going to be teaching little kids, that would be a disaster.”  
  
“Isco!” Álvaro interrupts him. “Could you shut up for a moment?”  
  
“Yeah, I think so, why?” Isco grins.  
  
“There’s... there’s something I didn’t tell you, and I think that I have to do it now.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
Marc aims at the makeshift target attached to a tree trunk, and shoots. One, two, three. He hits the bull’s eye every time, but when he looks around himself, he realizes that there will hardly be any applause. Thiago is covering his ears and Javi is not even looking. Cesc looks determined, but he’s also keeping his distance from the guns laid out on a table.  
  
“Well?” Marc says and looks at the other members. “Anyone wants to try it?”  
  
Javi almost runs away. Thiago doesn’t look eager either, and although Jesús is inspecting the target with certain curiosity, it is more likely theory-based.  
  
Marc is ready to say that it is all nonsense and tell Cesc to throw the guns to the river so that at least nobody can use them against them, but in that moment Sergi makes a tiny step towards the table. Marc watches him touch a gun with his fingertips, like he’s afraid of getting burned. Then he picks it up.  
  
“Fine,” he says, his voice a bit shaky but decided. “This was the first step. What is the second?”  
  
  
 **Álvaro**  
  
“What do you mean that you know how the assignments work? It’s based on your score, obviously!” Isco laughs.  
  
“And you really believe that I got a better score than Griezmann, right?” Álvaro looks at him. “You really,  _really_  believe that.”  
  
“Well...” Isco scratches his head. “It’s a bit strange, but... hey, he could have fucked up. It happens to everyone.”  
  
“I’m telling you that it didn’t happen. What happened is that Llorente wanted me to get a job in research.”  
  
“Why would he want that?”  
  
“To keep me closer. To watch me.”  
  
Isco frowns. “Why would he want to watch you?”  
  
Álvaro sighs and looks around cautiously, even though they are sitting on the roof. “Because... Remember when I told you that Llorente knew someone in Erudite was divergent, but didn’t know it was you?”  
  
Isco nods and moves closer to Álvaro unwittingly.  
  
“He thinks that it’s me,” Álvaro says.  
  
Isco just stares at him in disbelief. “Wh-what? Why does he think...”  
  
“I don’t know, okay? I don’t know. But I let him believe it.”  
  
“Are you mad?” Isco yells and shakes Álvaro. “Llorente and Alonso are out for the divergent! They will kill you! I actually don’t know why they haven’t done it already! Not that I want them to, but...”  
  
“Because they have some kind of plan,” Álvaro says. “Llorente told me that the divergent weren’t a priority right now.”  
  
“So what is the priority?” Isco frowns.  
  
“I don’t know. But I think we’ll find out soon. And I’m not sure that we’ll like it.”  
  
  
 **Marc**  
  
The first three bullets miss not only the target, but the whole tree.  
  
Marc sighs. “It’s not like I want to be annoying or anything, but if you want to hit something, you can’t close your eyes when you shoot,” he says.  
  
“Maybe it’s that I actually don’t want to hit anything,” Sergi says quietly.  
  
The rest of Amity that are watching them look like they couldn’t agree more.  
  
“I know,” Marc says and lays a comforting hand on Sergi’s shoulder. “But it’s just a target.”  
  
“But the main purpose of this is to be able to hit something else than the target, isn’t it?” Sergi asks. “It’s to be able to hit  _someone_.”  
  
Marc turns to Cesc who looks apprehensive. Then he steps up. “Yes,” he says firmly. “I know that we are the peaceful faction. And I don’t want war. I don’t want to go out and start it. But if it begins and if it affects us, I just want one thing. I want you to, I want  _us_  to be able to defend ourselves. I want to help those that will need it. And we can’t do that if we just stand here and wait for someone to kill us.”  
  
“But we’ll be in that war the moment we fire the first shot,” Javi objects.  
  
“We’ll be in that war whether we want it or not, nobody will ask!” Cesc says. “All of the factions were created to prevent war. If any of them starts it, it means that they went against their own principles. What are we supposed to do then?”  
  
There is complete silence. Suddenly a gunshot resonates in the quiet orchard. Everyone jumps up, Thiago even throws himself on the ground. Marc looks at Sergi and then at the target and the hole in one of the outer rings.  
  
“Yes,” he says. “I think this is exactly what we are supposed to do then.”


	10. Ten

**Álvaro**

The only way to make Isco disappear unnoticed is to distract those who would notice his absence first. As the other new members are currently busy with their new jobs and still fairly high about passing the initiation, it leaves just Alonso and Llorente. And as Alonso himself said, the divergent aren’t the priority for him now. Álvaro’s barely seen him around the last few days. Which leaves Llorente, who is still sniffing around like a dog. And outsmarting Llorente is not an easy task. 

Which is why Álvaro decides to use the weapons of his old faction rather than his wit.

Saying goodbye to Isco, his only kindred soul in this steel and glass world where everything is calculated, is harder than he expected. They are waiting near the railway, which is the fastest and the surest way to get far from the Erudite compound. If it can take Isco far enough, they can’t tell.

“I wish I could go with you,” Álvaro whispers, leaning into Isco.

“You fought so hard to be here,” Isco says. “You can’t give it up now.” 

“I’d give it up for you. If I could find a way to…”

“You’ll figure it out,” Isco smiles and places a kiss in Álvaro’s hair. “You’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met.”

“Definitely not.”

“The smartest Abnegation-born, then.”

The sound of the train approaching cuts off Álvaro’s dismissive answer. Isco sighs and adjusts the small backpack on his shoulders. 

“See you soon,” he says.

Álvaro nods, then just before the train appears, he hugs Isco tight and kisses him, and then he sprints towards the compound, not looking back even once.

When he returns to the compound, he finds Llorente in his bedroom. It only confirms that Llorente knows nothing about their plan and about Isco’s escape yet, otherwise he’d be searching for him everywhere. 

“I was looking for you,” he says.

“Yeah, I was outside,” Álvaro says, trying to sound casual. “I needed some fresh air.”

“Why is that?” Llorente asks, intrigued. “Do you have something you need to get off your chest?”

Such a chance might never repeat itself, and Álvaro isn’t going to miss it. The longer Llorente is interested in him, the longer he doesn’t remember Isco.

“Maybe,” he whispers. 

Then he presses his lips to Llorente’s, before he can change his mind or lose the courage. The older man tenses for a moment and Álvaro is afraid that he’s misjudged him, that he will push him away and scold him, but then Llorente laughs shortly, wraps his arms around Álvaro and kisses him for real, sliding his tongue between Álvaro’s lips and a part of Álvaro wants to die.

 

**Marc**

Cesc storms into the room so quickly that Marc doesn’t even have enough time to pretend he’s in Sergi’s bed for… whatever reason he could be there, really, other than the one he’s there for. But Cesc doesn’t seem to give a damn about them spooning there practically naked. He looks like the world outside has just exploded.

“Get up, quick!” he barks, and to make things worse, he switches on the light. 

Marc feels the blood rush in his cheeks. Sergi only sleepily untangles his arms to let Marc sit up and then looks at Cesc accusingly.  
  
“What’s going on?” he asks.

“I wish I knew that,” Cesc says. “The only thing I know is that the Dauntless have invaded the Abnegation sector.”

Sergi frowns, while Marc feels his stomach make a flip. “What? Why?” Sergi asks, while still managing to find Marc’s shirt somewhere in the mess on the floor and handing it to him.

“After the scandal in the media the Erudite made, it’s quite obvious,” Cesc shrugs. “Abnegation had the power. Dauntless want that power and now it’s easy to take it. But the first news are that there’s… violence.”

“And the other factions?” Sergi asks.

“Erudite and Candor have done nothing so far. Either they chose to ignore it, or…”

“Or they’re on it with Dauntless,” Marc nods, finally finding his voice.

“Exactly,” Cesc nods. “We need to know what’s happening. We need to know how this could affect us, so that we can decide where we stand.”

“Isn’t it clear where we stand?” Sergi looks at him. “If someone needs help, we’ll help them. If someone uses violence, we won’t encourage it.”

“And if it means standing against all of the other factions?” Cesc raises his brows.

“Since when being peaceful means being cowards, Cesc?” 

Cesc raises his hands in an appeasing gesture. “As I said, what we need is to assess the situation. And there’s only one person who can do that for us,” he says and looks at Marc pointedly. 

 

**Álvaro**

“Well, who would have thought you had this in you,” Llorente says, running a hand through his messed-up hair. “But then, you’re not what you seem to be at all, are you?”

“I’m not what you think I am,” Álvaro whispers, looking down at him.

Llorente just blinks. “What I think?”

Álvaro nods slowly. “I’m not the one you’re looking for.”

Llorente looks positively shocked. Somehow, Álvaro feels good about it, almost accomplished. He thinks that he must have gone mad.

“Elaborate,” Llorente says, his voice strangely distant, like his mind is not really there.

“Erudite was my choice, but my aptitude test said Abnegation. It was clear as day. Ask the evaluator. Or do more tests to me if you want to. It will always say Abnegation. I’m not divergent.”

Llorente keeps staring at him for a long time. Then he suddenly starts to laugh. “You tricked me,” he breathes. “You little bastard, you tricked me.”

Álvaro doesn’t say anything, just looks at him, letting things take their own course.

Llorente stops laughing. Then he flips them over and pins Álvaro under his body. “Selfless to the core, aren’t we?” he growls. “Who did you sacrifice yourself for, eh?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Álvaro says calmly. “He’s already far away from here.”

Llorente isn’t even listening to him, it’s like he’s determined to find the answers himself, merely waiting for Álvaro to confirm that his theories are correct. “Alarcón, isn’t it?” he says. “I noticed your... friendship. I should have paid more attention to the Erudite-born. But you were so remarkably able to change your very nature that I had all the reasons to suspect you.”

“You changed your nature remarkably as well,” Álvaro notes. “Why are you so surprised?”

“Only that it seems that you didn’t really change,” Llorente says. “Your Abnegation nature is rooted deeper than I thought. It will take more effort to extract it.”

“What for?” Álvaro asks. “Isco is gone. I’m not divergent. You don’t need me.”

“Only two of your statements are correct,” Llorente says. “You’re not divergent. And Alarcón is gone. But wherever he is, he didn’t choose a good night to run away. And thus, there’s still something we need you for.”

 

**Marc**  

It’s been so long since Marc wore his black clothes that he feels like a completely different person. It’s no longer him, and yet there is some part of him that feels better this way than in the yellow and red. Sergi watches him quietly. Then he walks up to him and hugs him.

“Be careful,” he says.

“I thought you’d try to talk me out of it,” Marc says.

Sergi smiles bitterly. “I’ll tell you something,” he says. “It used to be a part of our manifesto, but it was later taken out. One friend says to another: ‘Friend, today I fought with my enemy.’ The Other Friend says: ‘Why did you fight with your enemy?’ - ‘Because they were about to hurt you.’ - ‘Friend, why did you defend me?’ - ‘Because I love you.’ And the Other Friend says...” Sergi’s voice trails off and he touches the necklace on Marc’s neck.

“What does he say?” Marc whispers.

“He says: ‘Then I am grateful.’ And I am.” Sergi looks him in the eyes and kisses him, and then he’s gone.

With one last look at the empty room Marc zips up his black leather jacket and grabs the two guns on the table.

**Author's Note:**

> Factions explained:
> 
>  **Amity** is the faction that dislikes war and the one and only faction dedicated to peacefulness, kindness, forgiveness, trust, self-sufficiency, and neutrality. They are a democratic faction, almost unanimously voting on everything. They love music, art, games, and laughter. They give hugs when greeting. Members dress comfortably in red and yellow clothing.
> 
>  **Abnegation** is the one and only faction dedicated to selflessness and forgetting oneself for the sake of others. They believe in selfless actions and attaining peace through the elimination of selfishness. By doing so, they choose to completely forget themselves and only serve others. They bow heads, a sign of respect, when greeting each other. Clothing is all grey and simple. The only adornment allowed is a watch. Female Abnegation typically wear their hair in a bun/knot. Men cut their hair short.
> 
>  **Candor** believe in the principle that honesty and openness would lead to a more peaceful and perfect society. Honest, trustworthy, sound leaders, they are able to read body language to detect lies. They wear black and white clothes (black suits with white ties for men).
> 
>  **Dauntless** is the faction dedicated to courage, bravery, and fearlessness. It tries to fight cowardice by giving the advantage of preparation and the ability to act when facing a fear to its members. The members generally wear provocative and (sometimes) clingy black clothing, are pierced, tattooed and have a tendency to seek thrill and action.
> 
>  **Erudite** is the one and only faction dedicated to knowledge, intelligence, curiosity, and astuteness. Erudite values the virtue of intelligence and wisdom over any other. The members focus their lives on the pursuit of knowledge. Most members wear glasses, no matter how perfect their vision is. Each member must wear at least one piece of blue clothing.


End file.
